Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-22
THURSDAY. DECEMBER %, 1887.
MIR. Pnph,s Snanch.

Mr.. Pughs Speech.
The speech made in the United States
Senate on Monday last by Mr.. PuGH,
of Alabams, appears In full in the Con-
grossionat Record of Tuesday. Hav-
ing read it. we are bound TO withdraw
our statement of yesterday that il there
was Free Trader in Congress he was
one. But we add that there is. so far as
we know, not one man in either house
who will acknowledge that he is a Free
Trader.
Mr.. PUGH's speech is clear, strong,
and well-reasoned. He presents his own
opinions upon every point that he has
discussed. For example, in one part Of
his speech he makes the following ex-
plicit declaration
"There is not a single sentence in the
fPresident'sl message that is not the
whole truth and nothing but the truth.
That is my opinion.
And yet Mr.. PUGH also says las we
shall presently show by aquotation from
his speech) what seems TO be incon-
sistent with that declaration. OF course
he does not understand the two asser-
tons 10 be inconsistent with each other.
He no doubt bases his averment upon
the following passage in the Presidents
message:
cl nf1l1 no
done with safety to all our industries,
without danger to the opportunity for
remuneratiye labor whi,h our working
men need, and with benefit 10 them and
all our people. by cheapening their
means of subsistence and increasing the
measure of their comforts"
The New York tribune says that Mr..
PUGH was chosen by the President as
the expounder of his views.
The other remarks to which we have
alluded above are the following:
"Most of the confusion, elimination,
and recrimination in the discussion of the
question OF tariff taxation is caused by
utter ignorance, or wilful misrepresen-
tation TO deceive or mislead the people.
1t surprises me to hear any Democrat
admit that he stands on the Democratic
platform of 1884, on which Mr.. Cleve-
land was elected, and at the same time
deny that he is Protectionist, or deny
that he is IN favor of tariff law enacted
primarily TO raise necessary revenue,
and SO adjusted in the amount of the
duty and in the selection of the article
imported upon which the duty is levied,
AS TO afford. as an intentional and desi-
rable incident, all the protection that our
manufacturers really need against foreign
competition.
Some persons will detect, or imagine
that they detect, an inconsonance be-
tween the averments contained in the
two paragraphs We have quoted from Mr..
PUGH's speech. But he sees none.
Indeed, he asks "where is all the diff
Guilty in the way of an agreement by
every member of the Democratic party
who desires harmony as public good?"
He lays down three propositions as Illus
trating the plain meaning of the Chicago
platform-as follows:
/. Say the Government needs s220,-
00O,0 to be collected from duties on
imports.
2. The list of imported articles from
which the 1920, 900, 600 must be raised is
tobe agreed upon by both houses Of
Congress.
3. Each article in the taxable list OF
imports should he made to produce no
more than its share of the 1920, 900, 900
of revenue.
MIR. PUGH then saws that the simple
question is, Has the time arrived when
the Government shall raise all the reve-
nue. it needs from taxes to he collected
at austom-houses, or shall portion of
its revenue be collected by a tax on
liqaors and tobacco or on whiskey alone?
lie gives his own views. He is opposed
TO abolishing the tax on whiskey. He
is willing as compromise, and because
tobacco is au agricultural product, to
abolish the tax on this article.
The indications in Congress are that
the whiskey tax will not be abolished.
The most that the Virginia Democrats
can,hope for is that the tax on tobacco
and -brandies may be abolished.
The Virginia Democrats have declared
against the whole internal-revenue sys-
TEN but they are not backed by States
enough TO justify them in counting con-
fidentlyupon having their wishes carried
out IN full. We can, however, have har-
mory amongst ourselves. There is no
occasion for reading out OF the Demo
cratic party all the men who hold to the
doctrines taught by Mr. PUGH and
Mr.. RANDALL.